Chapter 5-6: Elisa Was In My House

Nausea swirled in my stomach as I watched the way Aiden and Elisa looked so comfortable together. Elisa was showing him something on the screen of an ipad, and Aiden gave her his full attention, turning his head to look at her, a soft smile playing on his lips as she talked animatedly.

They sat on high kitchen stools so close together that their legs and arms brushed against each other with every move. Elisa's beautiful face glowed with health and warmth, eyes twinkling with happiness as she talked to my husband, body unconsciously leaning towards him.

They looked like the perfect couple. Elisa Harding was the quintessential classic beauty - hair the color of warm honey, blue eyes that held a shrewd intelligence and a body that could grace the catwalks of a Victoria's secret fashion show. Her looks complimented Aiden's in a way that I never could.

Aiden must have said something funny because Elisa laughed, the sound rich and echoing in the huge kitchen space. She placed a manicured hand on Aidern's arm, smiling up at him and my own hands tightened into painful fists, breath hitching at the visceral pain that slashed across my already dying heart.

They were so engrossed in their own little world that they didn't notice me standing there until Vincent, who was sitting on the other side nursing a steaming mug of coffee and watching an early game on the TV, noticed me standing there gawking at them.

He gave me a warm smile and a nod of acknowledgement. "There you are, Jess. We were wondering when you'd be down. Good morning."

All three pairs of eyes swung to me. Finding myself under scrutiny made me feel self conscious. I hadn't yet dressed for the funeral, still in a comfortable old pair of jean cutoffs and t-shirt, barefoot, no make up and my hair piled in a messy bun at the top of my head.

Aiden and Elisa looked like they had coordinated their outfits, both in black suits and light blue shirts. Elisa's skirt ended just above the knee, giving a glimpse of toned mile long legs. I knew it was a coincidence, but still, it was one more reminder of how perfectly in sync they were.

And how I was the odd one out.

"Hello, Jessica." Elisa's smile was warm and friendly. "Hope you don't mind us barging in like this."

Oh I minded. Very much so. I minded that she was still sitting close to Aiden, still touching him, when I was standing right there.

"Not at all," I lied smoothly, hiding my feelings behind a smile. "You're Aiden's friends so you're welcome at any time."

I heard Vincent chuckle me, clearly not fooled by my words and my face heated with embarrassment. "Good ol' Jess. Always so gracious."

Yep, that was me. Jessica Brown, Nee Hopkins - People Pleaser.

"I invited them to accompany us to Skye Manor." Aiden spoke for the first time. I looked up from the tea I'd been stirring absentmindedly but he wasn't looking at me as he spoke, busying checking something on his phone.

"Yep, we're the emotional support for today." Vincent declared loftily.

"That's...great." I said. I took a deep breath, the scent of coffee and toast filling my nostrils. The nausea, which I thought had subsided, returned in full force. I gripped the edge of the counter, trying so hard not to heave over the pristine white tiles.

"Won't you have breakfast?" Elisa asked.

"I made some french toast, if you'd like some.

The mere mention of food started a fresh bout of queasiness. "No, thank you."

"You should try some." Vincent, ever the solicitous doctor, urged. He got up and fetched a plate, pushing it towards me.

"Elisa makes the best french toast this side of the planet. You look a bit pale, you need more than that tea to keep up your strength."

"I'm just tired." I replied, softly. "I didn't get much sleep last night."

"That's right, it stormed last night." Elisa said, sympathetically.

I wanted to be angry at her for bringing up my fear of storms, but I couldn't muster up the strength. I was suddenly exhausted, drained mentally, emotionally and physically and it was only 8 in the morning.

"It'll be a while before we get anything to eat after the funeral, you should get something down while you can." Elisa chimed in.

Beside her, Aiden took a bite of his own toast and chewed slowly. His eyes locked with mine. "There's still time before we have to leave. Eat."

On shaky legs, I picked up the plate and slid into a chair, staring at the food and trying to ignore the queasiness in my stomach. Instead, I watched Aiden eat the breakfast Elisa had prepared for him, while she bustled around getting him a fresh cup of coffee with the ease of someone who was familiar with this kitchen in particular.

Which, I suppose, given the number of times over the past two years she had come over for a visit, made sense.

I tore my eyes away, back to my food. Picking up a slice, I brought it up to my mouth and made the mistake of breathing in the aroma.

My stomach rioted. I pushed to my feet hastily, almost knocking over the stool. Three heads swiveled in my direction but I ignored them, mentally calculating the distance between the kitchen and the downstairs bathroom.

"I...excuse me." I muttered and dashed, changing paths halfway and heading for the privacy of my bathroom instead.

find their way out of my mouth.

Finally done, I cleaned up as best as I could, washing my face and hands. I entered my bedroom, intending to get dressed only to stop dead in my tracks.

Aiden stood by the door of my room, a concerned look on his face. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," I struggled to get my brain to respond, managing a self deprecating chuckle. "I...erm...I shouldn't have eaten so much so late in the night."

His eyes roved over me. I knew I looked wrung out and pale, still nauseous though the worst of it seemed to have passed with the vomit session.

"Are you sure you can manage the trip to the funeral and afterwards? You don't need to attend, if you don't feel up to it. Vincent can look you over, see if it's just a food bug."

"I'll be fine." I insisted. There was no way I would miss Julian's funeral and I certainly did not want Vincent checking on me in any medical capacity. What if he found out my secret? "I'll just drink some water and it should pass."

"Still, I'd feel reassured if Vincent takes a look at you." Aiden said.

I knew he wouldn't let up until I agreed so I merely nodded. He stood up and left to go call his friend while I worried about my secret.

I sat still and answered Vincent's medical questions as best as I could, still insisting that my bout of sickness was thanks to the midnight binge.

"Sure you're okay, Jess?" He asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"Not really," I admitted, chuckling nervously when he gave me a stern look. "I've just been so busy with the contracts and stuff."

He sighed and shook his head. I know it's been a tough couple of months, but you really should take your health into consideration. I don't want to see you as a patient in my hospital one day."

He moved closer and after giving me a look for permission, placed a hand on my forehead. "Temp seems normal, but I'm not liking the signs of anemia."

"I'm really okay, Vincent." I assured him.

Vincent had always been very nice to me, despite being privy to everything that had happened, or the fact that his best friend saw me as nothing but a nuisance. He still treated me as a friend and always had a nice word to say.

He made to leave but placed a hand on my shoulder. "Today's going to be hard for you, I know how much Julian meant to you. Just...don't let it get too overwhelming, okay? It's fine to walk away sometimes it things get too much."

I knew at that moment that he wasn't just talking about the funeral. Vincent knew the circumstances surrounding my marriage. I'd even dare say he knew more than I did about the reason Aiden had let himself be forced into this. He knew the whole truth, knew how much my husband hated being shackled to me, of course, he also knew that it hurt me to see Aiden and Elisa together.

And we both knew that the inevitable was bound to happen soon. He was just warning me to not let myself become overwhelmed.

It was and indirect way of telling me that I could choose to be the one to walk away from Aiden and spare myself the humiliation of being served divorce papers.

Which meant that Aiden must have already started the process. Vincent would know.

A lump formed in my throat, my hands clammy with sweat. The death knell had begun to toll in my head and now I couldn't hear anything else.

Pushing back the swell of emotions that threatened to spill out, I forced a smile on my face.

"I won't overexert myself, don't worry." I pretended not to catch his meaning and stood, wanting this conversation to end. "Thank you for the help, but I need to get ready."

He nodded and backed away. "Sure. I'll leave you to it."

Once I was mercifully alone once again, I crossed to the window and leaned my head against the glass, staring down at the busy street below. My thoughts were a mess I didn't want to sift through just yet, if I tried to think about Aiden, I wasn't sure I wouldn't end up a sobbing mess.

I put on a black, long-sleeved knit dress and light makeup, my hair up in a loose French twist. With a wistful smile, I put on the pair of pearl earrings and necklace set that Julian had gifted me on my graduation from college, and the memories hit me as I regarded myself in the mirror.

I was packing up the last few items into my suitcase when a knock sounded on my door.

"One minute." I called out and crossed to open the door.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Elisa began, "I need your help."